Tag Archives: History

History Today Magazine – August 2024 Preview

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History Today (July 18, 2024) – The latest issue features ‘The Ethiopians who changed Rome’…

August 2024

A Dangerous Game on the Jacobean Stage

Original title page for A Game at Chess, 1624. Folger Shakespeare Library. Public Domain.

For nine days Thomas Middleton’s A Game at Chess was the greatest box office phenomenon of the English Renaissance. Then a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Japan, the West and the Treaty of Versailles

Japanese delegates to the Paris Peace Conference, 1919. Standing (left to right): Hikokichi Ijūin and Keishirō Matsui; seated (left to right): Baron Makino Nobuaki, Prince Kinmochi Saionji and Viscount Sutemi Chinda. Library of Congress. Public Domain.

At the outset of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference Japan enjoyed a seat at the top table, but the vexed issue of racial equality set it and its notional Western allies on different paths.

World Archaeology – Aug/Sept 2024 Preview

WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY (July 18, 2024): The latest issude features ‘Pompeii’ – The biggest dig in a generation; AI and Archaeology – Reconstructing ancient landscapes; Creatures of The Nile – What animals did for Ancient Egypt…

Pompeii: Unearthing Insula 10

The biggest dig at Pompeii in a generation is working to expose nearly an entire block of the ancient city. Archaeologists are making astonishing discoveries that shed powerful new light on life and death in the shadow of Vesuvius, as…

Creatures of the Nile: What animals did for ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt owed many debts to the creatures that lived in and beside the Nile. Both wild and domesticated animals offered an abundance of food, raw materials, and inspiration. But…

Artificial intelligence rethinks the past: How computers are reconstructing Etruscan and Roman landscapes

What can artificial intelligence bring to archaeology? Maurizio Forte introduces recent work dedicated to reconstructing ancient landscapes, and weighs some of the risks and rewards.

Autoarchaeology at Christiansborg Castle: Digging into ancestral connections to the transatlantic slave trade

The discovery of an unsuspected family link to Christiansborg Castle, Ghana, led to a project examining a forgotten aspect of the transatlantic slave trade. Rachel Ama Asaa Engmann introduces us…

National Geographic Traveller – July/Aug 2024

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National Geographic Traveller Magazine (June 11, 2024): The July/August 2024 issue features a look beyond California’s vineyards and glacier-carved national parks to savour its tranquil coast, home to laid-back surf resorts and wave-lashed islands harbouring wildlife found nowhere else on Earth with the Jul/Aug 2024 issue. Plus, high-octane thrills in the deserts and mountains of Ras Al Khaimah and a slow journey along ancient trails in Cape Verde’s elemental hiking country.

Also inside this issue:

Ras Al Khaimah: The Emirate state of mountains, deserts and coastline is now emerging as an adventure hub 
Cape Verde: The West African archipelago is prime hiking country, with ancient trails running through farms and mountains
Slovakia: The past is felt with every step in the central region of Horehronie, home to lush valleys and a diverse folk culture 
Peru: Unforgettable itineraries through which to discover the nation’s cuisine, culture and complex history 
Barcelona: There’s always time for one more cocktail on streets peppered with clandestine speakeasies 
Hamburg: Wedded to the water, Germany’s ‘gateway to the world’ has long welcomed the tides of change  
Danish Lakes:Dive into the waters around Silkeborg, where wild swimming spots mingle with fairytale forests 
South Devon: Award-winning wines, local rums and stellar farm shops in the south west 
Rome: Savour the Eternal City with a stay that incorporates its rich history, from secluded boutiques to grand palazzi

Plus, The return of Liguria’s much-loved Via dell’Amore; Ireland’s new national park; the story of Belgian cuisine; Tartu’s best hotels; a salsa-lovers guide to Cali, Colombia; Alpine thrills in Austria; a UK break in North Staffordshire; books for the summer months and kit for family trips to the coast. 

We talk with author Sophie Yeo on the legacy of ice fishing in the Finnish wilderness, and ranger Edward Ndiritu on the future of anti-poaching in central Kenya. In our Ask the Experts section, the experts give advice on planning a food tour in Malaysia, low-impact French hiking holidays and more. The Info peeks behind the curtain of the Edinburgh Fringe, while Hot Topic explores the state of travel in Cyprus 50 years since its division. After a look at the winning images of this year’s Photo Competition, photographer Ulf Svane discusses distilling the magic of Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival for our June issue in How I got the shot.

Culture: The American Scholar – Summer 2024

THE AMERICAN SCHOLAR (June 4, 2024): The latest issue features ‘An Olympian for the Ages’ – Why George Eyser’s feats at the 1904 Games deserve to be celebrated today; Joshua Prager on a forgotten Olympian, Mickalene Thomas and the art of remixing, new poetry from Ange Mlinko, and more…

A Forgotten Turner Classic

Who was George Eyser, the one-legged German-American gymnast who astounded at the Olympic Games?

Femmes Fantastiques

Mickalene Thomas and the art of remixing

We Are the Borg

Is the convergence of human and machine really upon us?

The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI by Ray Kurzweil

In the fall of 2014, an MIT cognitive scientist named Tomaso Poggio predicted that humankind was at least 20 years away from building computers that could interpret images on their own. Doing so, declared Poggio, “would be one of the most intellectually challenging things … for a machine to do.” One month later, Google released an AI program that did exactly what he’d deemed impossible.

National Geographic Traveller – June 2024

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National Geographic Traveller Magazine (May 2, 2024): The latest issue Explore 17 unique ways to get out and about in Paris as it celebrates its Olympic year with the June 2024 issue. Plus, take a look beyond the resorts of Phuket, go on a wild adventure in Albania and discover the long-flourishing desert community of Scottsdale, Arizona.

From sailing its scenic waterways to cooling off in open-air pools or stepping back in time on a historical walking tour, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy Paris as it welcomes the warmer weather. One of Europe’s most majestic and storied capitals, with plans to turn it into one of continent’s greenest well underway, this is a city best explored outdoors.

Also inside this issue:

Phuket: Divine gastronomy and spirited religious festivals define Thailand’s largest island
Albania: Home to Europe’s first wild river national park, this adventure hub is the Balkans’ best-kept secret
Algeria: Slip into a landscape of ochre citadels, nomadic peoples and volcanic plateaus
Scottish Isles: Experience the nation’s wave-rattled northern and western fringes with these daring itineraries
Valletta: Whether on a church ceiling or in a subterranean necropolis, art can be found all over the Maltese capital
Scottsdale: This Arizona city’s past, present and future are bound to the mountains and the desert
Northern Lanzarote: Forget the beach resorts — this island’s northern reaches are ripe for adventure
Mumbai: In this vast city, a love of street food is as immovable as the streets themselves
Santiago: Hang behind in the Chilean capital to discover museums, street art and characterful hotels

New Books: ‘Children Of A Modest Star”(April 2024)

Stanford University Press (April 5, 2024): Jonathan S. Blake and Nils Gilman introduce their new book Children of a Modest Star: Planetary Thinking for an Age of Crises.

Cover of Children of a Modest Star by Jonathan S. Blake and Nils Gilman

A clear-eyed and urgent vision for a new system of political governance to manage planetary issues and their local consequences.

Deadly viruses, climate-changing carbon molecules, and harmful pollutants cross the globe unimpeded by national borders. While the consequences of these flows range across scales, from the planetary to the local, the authority and resources to manage them are concentrated mainly at one level: the nation-state. This profound mismatch between the scale of planetary challenges and the institutions tasked with governing them is leading to cascading systemic failures.

Produced by Studio B. at the Berggruen Institute

Animation by Meysam Qaderi

Illustration by Akram Esmaili

National Geographic Traveller – May 2024

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National Geographic Traveller Magazine (April 5, 2024): The latest issue heads to Mexico where we discover this diverse and spirited nation through the communities and craftspeople keeping its culture alive. Plus, explore the remote reaches of Vietnam, dive into the folk traditions of Istria and taste the flavours of Philadelphia.

Also inside this issue:

Vietnam: Discover the country’s remote reaches along the Mekong River and Con Dao islands. 
Istria: Explore the festivals and folk traditions of Croatia’s unique Adriatic enclave. 
Antarctica: This barren land of rock, water and ice is home to a surprising amount of wildlife. 
Egypt: Itineraries to discover the country, from the Nile and the Red Sea to the Sinai Peninsula.
Philadelphia: Food in Pennsylvania’s largest city is as much about coming together as it is about flavour. 
Birmingham: The UK’s historic industrial powerhouse is flaunting its heritage with style. 
Le Mans & around: Come for the eponymous car race, stay for canoe trips, wine-tasting and more. 
Fez: Food traditions and culinary innovation come together in the medina of this Moroccan city 
Tokyo: Accommodation in the Japanese capital is all about character, from traditional ryokan inns to a cosy literary hotel. 

Collections: A Tour Of Dynastic Chinese Art

Sotheby’s (March 28, 2024): Reverence for the past is a foundational thread. More than an homage, our instinct to look into the past is a dynamic creative force that shapes our present.

Behold the Leshantang collection, a testament to the eye of Tsai I-Ming, spanning the sweep of history from earliest dynasties to the modern era, this principle has guided the evolution of artistic expression.

Arts/Culture: Humanities Magazine – Spring 2024

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Humanities Magazine – Spring 2024 Issue:

It’s Dante’s Hell—We’re Just Living In It

The great Italian poet, in light of a new documentary

Nick Ripatrazone

Qui est per omnia secula benedictus are the final words of La Vita Nuova, Dante Alighieri’s collection of poetry and prose.

The Latin renders to “who is blessed for ever” and concludes an enigmatic, brief paragraph. First published in 1294, La Vita Nuova is a tantalizing prelude to the Florentine poet’s masterpiece, La Commedia, known today as The Divine Comedy. For centuries, readers and scholars have pored over La Vita Nuova (Italian for, literally, the new life)—convinced, as we often are, that a gifted writer’s nascent work contains the answers to longstanding mysteries. 

City of Stories

How I Created a Picture Book About Rome

David Macaulay

“Building Stories,” the new exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., explores themes of architecture, construction, and design through children’s books, such as Rome Antics by David Macaulay.

I first met Rome as a student in 1968. Rome is complicated and demanding and can be overwhelming—especially if you are homesick. Eventually, the riches and surprises of the imperial city will render all attempts to keep one’s distance useless. I didn’t realize how attached I had become until a few years later.

National Geographic Traveller – April 2024

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National Geographic Traveller Magazine (March 8, 2024): The latest issue features the Greek Islands. Plus, embark on a walking safari in Zambia, chase the midnight sun on a train trip in Norway and discover the German flavours of Cincinnati.

Also inside this issue:

Zambia: Become one with the landscape on a walking safari in South Luangwa National Park.

Norway: Black coffee and crystalline fjords on a multi-day train tour beneath the midnight sun.

Bhutan: In this tiny Himalayan nation, valleys plunge, mountains soar and traditions bind.

Philippines: Plan the ultimate island-hopping adventure to the pearl of the Western Pacific.

São Paulo: In Brazil’s most populous city, every gig and gallery reflects the diversity of its people.

Ghent: With its innovative art spaces and left-field restaurants, this city’s rebel spirit lives on.

Kosovo: Explore the Balkan nation’s deep-forested hills, gushing waterfalls and fresco-adorned monasteries.

Cincinnati: German flavours abound in the bakeries and breweries of this Ohio city.

Vienna: From jazz age revamps to culinary havens, these hotels embrace the sound and flavour of the city.

Plus,picks from the 60th Venice Biennale; tours and tastings in England’s vineyards; the flavours of Provence; the best music hotspots in Bristol; where to stay in Denver; a family getaway in Sicily; a city break in Gdansk; a coastal escape in Northumberland; the best food and travel reads; and kit for campervanning.

We talk with author Adam Alexander and the hunt for Rajasthan’s lost chilli, and Simon Reeve on his latest TV series, the beauty of the wild and more. In our Ask the Experts section, the experts give advice advice on driving from London to Lake Garda, treehouse stays for UK bluebell season and family adventures in Sri Lanka. The Info delves into Walpurgis Night, while Hot Topic explores the end of the 100ml liquid rule in UK airports and the Report asks whether the voluntourism industry can truly help those in need.